Furnace



4 SheetsSheet 1. E. KERR.

FURNACE.

Patented Nov. 10,1891. I

(No Model.)

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I I M 11 YsJ/MM IIIIIII (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet Z.

E. KERR. FURNACE. No. 462,876. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR,

wjw w imf 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. KERR. FURNACE (No Model.)

Patented Nov. 10,1891.

FIGB- e 0 {nag UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIcE.

EDWARD KERR, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,876, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed April l8 1891. Serial No. 389,395. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD KERR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Improvement in Furnaces, of which improvement the follow ing is a specification.

In an application, Serial No. 350,162, filed May 1, 1890, I have described and claimed a furnace for metallurgical purposes wherein a gaseous fuel is employed as the heating agent.

The invention described herein relates to certain furtherimprovements in said furnace, and has for its object a construction of furnace whereby the products of combustion in a chamber adjacent to the i'nelting-chamber may be employed.

In general terms the invention consists in the construction and combination, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a furnace embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the plane of section being indicated by the line a? a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the furnace; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the furnace.

In the practice of my invention the melt-- ing-chamber 5 is supported upon platform 12, supported on suitable posts or pillars a sulficient distance above the floordevcl to permit of the crucible 3 being raised a sufficient height to allow of the tapping off of the molten metal therefrom. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and i, the crucible is arranged immediately below the melting-chamber and is connected thereto by a throat or passage 13.

One, two, or more fire-chambers 14: are ar ranged outside of the melting-chamber 5, and are connected thereto by passages 15, entering the 1nelting-chamber at or near the top thereof. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, these firechambers are provided with grate-bars for supporting the solid fuel employed. The heat and products of combustion of the fuel flow through the passages 15 into the meltingchamber and are drawn down through the throat 13 into the crucible, from which they pass by the fines or ports 8 and conduit-s 9 into the stack 10.

The charge to be operated on is placed upon the annular hearth or shelf 2 of the meltingchamber around the throat 13, and the heat and products of combustion are caused by the draft of the stack to impinge upon the charge, and, melting the metal, pass thence through the throat with the molten metal into crucible, in which the metal is maintained in a molten condition by the heat and products of combustion as they pass through the cruci-.

ble to the stack.

The n1elting-chamber 5 is provided with one or more doors 4:, through which the charge is placed therein, and the fire-chambers 14 are provided with fuel-charging doors 16. It is preferred to form a slight ridge 17 around the throat 1-3, except at one point, where a gutter 18 is formed, so that the metal lying on the shelf 2 will, as it is melted, flow along the annular ditch formed back of the ridge 17 to the gutterlS, and thence into and through the throat, the bottom of the gutter having a downward pitch or inclination toward the threat. This construction permits of the molten metal collecting in a larger body before flowing into the crucible, thereby preventing any material oxidation of the metal.

In order to provide for injecting one or more streams of air into the flame and products of combustion as they pass through the melting-chamber, one or more nozzles 19 are arranged in the roof of the melting-chamber. These nozzles are arranged at such an angle as to direct the jets of air toward the axial line of the throat at or about the upper end thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. I11 order to heat the air before it enters the melting-chamber, it is preferred to form a passage 20 around the throat 13 near its upper end, and connect said passage with the nozzles 19 and an airforcing apparatus.

If preferred, the chambers It may be 0011- structed in the form of gas-producers of any construction, as shown in Fig. 4. hen this construction is employed, charging-chutes 21 are arranged in the roofs of the chambers, and air-pipes 22 enter below the grates thereof. It is preferred to form the ports or fiues 8 with an upward inclination as they leave the crucible in orderto prevent any metal from entering the flues leading to the stack.

When it is desired to melt large heavy masses of metal, the fioor 12 is preferably arranged at the ground-level, the crucible being arranged in a pit.

I claim herein as my invention 1. A furnace having in combination a melting-chamber, a crucible arranged below the melting-chamber, an opening between the melting-chamber and crucible for the passage of the products of combustion and the molten metal into the crucible, one or more firechambers connected to the melting-chamber at a point or points above the charge-supporting portion of the melting-chamber, the crucible being connected to the stack, whereby the products of combustion are caused to pass through the charge in the melting-chamber, and thence with the molten metal into the crucible, substantially as set forth.

2. Afurnace having in combination ainelting-chamber, a crucible arranged below the melting-chamber and connected to the stack, one or more fire-chambers connected to the melting-chamber at one or more points above 'the ch arge-supporting portion of the meltingchamber, and an annular abutment or shelf interposed between the crucible and melting chamber, whereby an opening is formed be tween the two for the passage of the products of combustion and molten metal into the crucible, substantially as set forth.

3. A furnace havingin combination a melting-chamber, a crucible arranged below the melting-chamber, an opening between the melting-chamber and crucible for the passage of the products of combustion and the molten metal into the crucible, one or more firechambers connected to the melting-chamber at one or more points above the charge rest ing therein, one or more nozzles arranged to direct air toward the opening between the crucible and melting-chamber, and one or more flues connecting the crucible with the stack, whereby the products of combustion are caused to pass through the crucible, sub-- stantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWVARD KERR.

Witnesses;

DARWIN S. WOLCOTT, R. H. WHITTLESEY. 

